Doflamingo found himself at a rare loss for solutions.
He had no choice but to visit Punk Hazard personally.
If the matter with Caesar were discovered by the Marines or Kaido, neither would let him act freely.
Though Doflamingo knew he could not defeat Marco, he was still confident in his own abilities.
Even if he failed in combat, escaping should be manageable.
During the Marineford War, he had fought Jozu, Third Division Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, and easily controlled him.
Even if Marco now surpassed Jozu in strength, Doflamingo was certain that escaping Marco's grasp would be possible if he chose to.
After ending his call, he shouted sharply, "Trebol, gather as many men as you can and move to Punk Hazard immediately!"
Trebol, dangling from the ceiling, tilted his head in confusion.
"Is something wrong, Young Master?"
"Marco has attacked Punk Hazard," Doflamingo replied grimly.
"His target is probably Caesar. Fortunately, they didn't bring too many men, and the Phoenix Pirates' influence in the first half of the New World is limited. Hurry and assemble your forces. I'll go ahead; you follow with reinforcements as soon as possible."
With that, he leapt through a nearby window, his ability propelling him through the air.
Meanwhile, Monet, after finishing her report to Doflamingo, was at a loss.
The situation was beyond her control.
She quickly contacted Caesar inside the lab.
"Master, my subordinates just discovered that Captain Marco of the Phoenix Pirates has landed on Punk Hazard with over a thousand pirates. They seem hostile and may be targeting you," she said into the transponder snail.
Half a minute later, the lab doors opened.
A man with pink gas swirling around him, long black hair, small horns protruding from his head, and wearing a light blue coat appeared, panic on his face.
"Monet, is your emergency call true?" Caesar asked, eyes wide.
"Yes, Master. My subordinates have confirmed it," Monet replied.
Caesar immediately began pacing, muttering anxiously, "What should I do? Why would Phoenix Marco come here? I never offended the Whitebeard Pirates!"
Monet tried to calm him, "It seems that recently, the Phoenix Pirates clashed with the Beasts Pirates on Nanku Island. During that conflict, Jack used poison gas bombs."
"What? Jack used them? How does that involve me?" Caesar snapped.
Monet speculated, "Perhaps they discovered that the poison gas bombs were your invention, Master."
Caesar's face drained of color.
"What should I do? Contact Doffy immediately!"
"I already did, Master," Monet said with composure.
"He ordered us to prepare for evacuation. Doflamingo is on his way."
Caesar felt slightly relieved but remembered the magnitude of the threat.
"No, Doffy alone might not be enough. Marco is an Emperor. We need Kaido. Can Doffy contact him?"
"I don't know," Monet admitted.
Caesar panicked further, pacing back and forth.
Monet, maintaining her professional demeanor, smiled reassuringly.
"Master, there's no need to worry. I doubt the Phoenix Pirates want to kill you. They likely need the antidote for the poison gas bombs."
"Indeed!" Caesar muttered, somewhat calmed.
He had no grudge against the Phoenix Pirates, so their intentions probably weren't murderous.
At that moment, a subordinate's voice came over the transponder snail.
"Master, the Phoenix Pirates are approaching the laboratory! But we've secured the gate. Even a Four Emperors crew can't get through easily."
A loud boom interrupted him.
Caesar grabbed the transponder snail, shouting, "What was that?"
"Master! The gate… Fire Fist Ace has broken through! The Phoenix Pirates are attacking! But we will stop them!" came the anxious reply.
Caesar's face fell.
"Those useless fools can't stop a Four Emperors crew. Monet, quickly pack up all critical data. We're retreating!"
"Yes, Master," Monet replied respectfully.
Outside, Ace led the Second Division like a whirlwind, overwhelming any subordinate who tried to oppose them.
"Where is Caesar?" Ace demanded from a captured subordinate.
"I… I won't tell you!" the subordinate stammered.
Ace didn't waste a moment, sending him flying with a punch.
"Split up! Search everywhere. Caesar must be caught!"
"Yes, sir!"
Above, Marco flew, maximizing his Observation Haki.
Caesar was a key figure; having him would provide leverage when confronting Kaido later.
"Caesar has been spotted! Over here!" a pirate from the Karma Pirates suddenly shouted, drawing the attention of all surrounding opponents.
Inside the lab, Caesar peered out and saw his decoys distracting the pirates.
He chuckled darkly.
"Shurororororo, fools. Even the Four Emperors' crew fell for such a simple trick. Pirates are all the same, always so predictable."
"Master, we must leave quickly!" Monet warned.
"Once they realize the deception, escape will be impossible."
"Shurororororo, you're right," Caesar replied, hopping onto a small electric railcar—an escape route he had long prepared.
In an instant, the vehicle shot forward, whisking him away from the laboratory.
____
A big thank you to everyone that supported me by joining my patreon
But y'all joined the free version, why? 😁
Joining will grant you access to chapters way ahead of web novel 🫣
patreon.com/Zphyr